IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa traded words with supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi known as “Obidients”, following an attack on Nigerian students in an Indian university.
Some Nigerian Students studying in India were attacked by their fellow Indian students over an altercation bothering on the usage of a football pitch at the Gurgaon University near Delhi.
The attack was confirmed in a video shared by a Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Ashok Swain, at Uppsala University on his verified Twitter handle, saying: “Nigerian students are being attacked in a University Campus near Delhi – 30,000 Nigerian students come to study in India paying money, 50,000 Indians live in Nigeria to make money.”
The video that went viral same day showed some Indian students with weapons chasing their Nigerian counterparts.
In a WhatsApp conversation @Abuti_Mpotso shared, it was revealed that H.E Ahmad Sulei, Nigerian High Commission to India, led an evacuation of over 100 Nigerian students from the 626 in the university to the Nigerian embassy in New Delhi.
The conversation reads: “It is so unfortunate that our fellow African students in GD Goenka University, Haryana had a conflict with the Indian students today.
“The whole problem started when the Indian students approached the African students at the football ground telling them that they are the official school team of the university and they have a football match to hold.
“They had a bitter argument with the African students and it ended up to a big fight. As i am talking, about 100+ students are evacuated from the 626 in the university to the Nigerian embassy in New Delhi under the leadership of H.E Ahmad Sulei, the Nigerian High commissioner to India.
“We have students with broken arms and heavy fractures on their body parts. The students will be spending the night at the mission till morning where their various embassies will come collect them in the morning.”
Reacting to the development, Dabiri-Erewa explained that the incident happened on Saturday, 15 October, 2022.
Dabiri shared the video and said: “This happened Sat (Saturday) as a result of a fracas, during a football match between African and Indian students. The Nigerian Mission immediately took custody of 86 Nigerian students, invited the representatives of the Indian government, and got their commitment to ensuring the safety of the students who then returned back to campus on Sunday,” while calling for calm.
However, as netizens continue to discuss the attack on Nigerian students in India, a tweep, @sensegiver1, who identifies as a supporter of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party verbally abused Abike-Dabiri, describing her as a ‘mumu woman’.
‘Mumu’ is a Pidgin English for a foolish person.
The tweep wrote: “She should go to Indonesia and see how Nigerians are treated. Mumu woman supporting a failed government. She’s equally part of the failure. Eye service!”
Three hours after, Abike-Dabiri fired back in the same coin, Abike-Dabike described the obidient as ‘Ode’, a Yoruba word for a foolish person.
She further thanked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for saving his likes, who according to her “go to Indonesia, carry drugs, do cultism and come begging to be rescued from death sentence.”
However, Abike-Dabiri’s reaction to the Obidient’s tweet has generated a conversation on Twitter, as many accused her of stereotyping the community of Nigerians living in Indonesia because of a personal insult, others blamed @sensegiver1 for insulting Abike-Dabiri in the first instance.
Investigative journalist, David Hundeyin, released a screenshot of statement about Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s “disgraceful comments” on Monday.
In his words: “A statement about Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s disgraceful comments yesterday.”
See the screenshots below:
Former Vice President of World Bank- Africa Region, Oby Ekwesili, called out Dabiri over her tweet and said: “Dear Abike @abikedabiri , What is this? 🤦🏾♀️. Kai. This is messy. Please clean it up. Quickly. Please.✍🏾”
In response, Dabiri said: “I’m done on this . But out of respect for you , will ask, Clean what up? It’s okay for some untrained, uncouth guy to refer to me as “ mumu”, and I can’t call him “ ode”I’m not a public official that cows to bullying pls.”
Ekwesili who realized Dabiri won’t change her stand in the issue said, “Dear Abike @abikedabiri your choice.”
@segalink said: “Distinguished Hon @abikedabiri, I know the torrential requests you get on the daily & how you go overboard to intervene & assist even without commendation. But please remember Moses, don’t let them get under your skin. The people are no different from what they criticize. 🙏🏽”
Relying @segalink, Dabiri said no one can get under her skin. “No one can get under my skin. I reply when I want to and say what I want to when I want to and when I have the time.And I will boldly say” I said what I said” 🙏🏿”
@urchilla01 also tweeted: “This is an employee of the Nigerian government @abikedabiri, whose salary is paid with taxpayers money, retweeting a tweet that references Igbo people the absolutely derogatory ethnic slur “Yanmiri”.
“How can anybody expect this woman to be fair & just, habouring such prejudice?”
A tweep, @Fs_Yusuf wrote: ““Ode” isn’t the issue here. Look at the stereotyping you dropped there. As a diplomat, you are the last person to do such thing. Please.”
Dabiri replied: “Read with your two eyes open. And with a bit of sense . Don’t be too “obediently” biased and beclouded. We’re you with us when we went up and down Indonesia begging them not to kill our people sentenced to death for drugs?”
@MacHarryCI on his part said: “To whom it may concern:
“Abike Dabiri-Erewa is not a diplomat. I know we like to say things without knowing the gravity of such, but let us respect the profession, please, and not attract curses to ourselves.”
@Ba’Shaba, also commented, saying: “As a public servant, I get that Abike Dabiri ought to demonstrate emotional intelligence in interactions like this. But I don’t get how her tweet qualifies for ethnic profiling, as some have inferred, unless they are saying drug-pushing is reserved for a specific ethnic group.”
@davidhundeyin in another tweet said: “When it is time to play their useless tribal politics, pondlife like Abike Dabiri know who is Igbo and who is Yoruba.
“When it was time to help Itunu Babalola who was Yoruba like Abike, this woman sat on her hands for 8 months until the poor girl died a terrible death.”
@nkemachor_ wrote: “Abike Dabiri insulted and profiled Nigerians in Indonesia saying they do drugs and cultism and ask for help when caught. Meanwhile, she supports Bola Tinubu who was indicted for drug offences in the US. I am highly disgusted. It seems there is no sane person in APC.”
Adewale A. Adebambo who backed Dabiri on her response said: “You guys are freaking weird, For months, Years that @abikedabiri has been tolerating you guys insults and name calling but that one time she had to put someone in his place you guys now know she is a public servant. But you fools want to insult and call it freedom of speech.”
Dabiri who seems to be happy with how she is being trolled said: “Abi ooo. Only one day. That I had their time. They are running “ Kitikiti, Katakata”. Pls play me that Wande Cole song 💃💃Gentility No be stupidity ooo💃💃💃💃😂😂.”
Another tweep, Victoria Edeme tweeted: “And that’s how ma’am Abike Dabiri-Erewa @abikedabiri set the whole Twitter on fire 🔥🔥🔥”